Carriage Barn Arts Center, home to New Canaan Society for the Arts, on grounds of former estate, now named Waveny Park, 681 South Ave.; hours: Wed.-Sat. 10-3 and Sundays 1-5 p.m.; carriagebarn.org, 203-972-1895.

* The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, open Sun., Mon., Wed., Thurs., and Fri., 12-5; and Sat., 10-5; $10/adults and $5/srs.; free adm. for full-time teachers and students in grades K-12, and for active-service military families; free adm. third Saturdays; 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 203-438-4519, aldrichart.org. Contemporary Social Series will be highlighting Connecticut’s local food and spirits scene. Contemporary Socials, Nov. 2. The Domestic Plane: New Perspectives on Tabletop Art Objects, through Jan. 13, 2019. It is a meta-group exhibition in five chapters — organized by five curators, including more than seventy artists — that will feature tabletop art objects from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The experience could be likened to theatre, as viewers encounter objects that interact with each other, their audience, their setting, forging relationships to be examined and meanings to be discovered in their adventurous methods of display. The chapters include Objects Like Us, Kitchen Arrangement, On Edge, ALMOST EVERYTHING ON THE TABLE and Handheld.

#UNLOAD: Guns in the Hands of Artists, through Oct. 13, Fairfield University Art Museum, 200 Barlow Rd., Fairfield. Mizusashi: Japanese Water Jars from the Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz Collection, through Dec. 14. Info: fairfield.edu/museum.

Garden Menagerie, through Aug. 25, Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave., Southport. The exhibit features a variety of works by Alex Sax and a selection of 19th-century books and poetry in Pequot Library’s Special Collections of rare books, manuscripts, and archives. Info: prequotlibrary.org.

Westport Historical Society, 25 Avery Pl. Westport. Info: westporthistory.org. The History of Westport in 100 Objects, through April 2019, a year-long exhibit showcasing the history of the town over a few hundred years from first settlement to the present.

The New Canaan Historical Society, 13 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan.Open Tues-Friday 9:30-4:30, Sat. 9:30-12:30. Info: nchistory.org. Justin Wiest of the Silvermine Art Center displays his paintings through August 11th. All art is for sale and a portion of the proceeds benefits the Historical Society. Elements of Design, examines line, color, texture and perspective and features the work of four high school seniors. On exhibit at the Gores Pavilion in Irwin Park, Friday-Sunday 11 am – 3 pm, through August 15th.

* Keeler Tavern Museum, 132 Main St., Ridgefield; 203-438-5485 or keelertavernmuseum.org; open 1-4 p.m., Sat., Sun., & Wed., last tour at 3:30; museum closed in January; 31; $8/adults, $5/srs., youth under 18 and students w/ID; 300 years of Ridgefield history. Natural Surroundings, through Aug. 10. At Home with the Gilberts.

*The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 North Water St., Norwalk; 203-852-0700 or maritimeaquarium.org; open daily, 10-5 (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas); sharks, seals, river otters, sea turtles, jellies and more than 100 other species; Marine Lab, Ocean Playspace for toddlers, seal feedings at 11:45 a.m. and 1:45 and 3:45 p.m. daily. Fish Tales for preschoolers, Fri., 10:15-11 a.m. One exhibit and daytime IMAX included with paid aquarium adm: $22.95 for adults; $20.95 for youths (13-17) and seniors (65+); and $15.95 for children (3-12); free for kids under 3 and members. Reservations: maritimeaquarium.org. Just Add Water exhibit features animals from the desert and rainforest, opens Aug. 3.